SAN DIEGO (CBS) — A pair of Southland street cart vendors who were forced to shut down their businesses after “Occupy” protesters vandalized their carts are hoping to get some help from local residents.

KNX 1070?s Tom Reopelle reports a fundraiser in the Gas Lamp district in San Diego on Monday night [11-7] is aimed at helping two vendors get back on their feet.

That group first settled in to the plaza Oct. 7 and set up a tent city which has since twice been taken down by police.

Coffee cart owner Linda Jenson and hot dog cart operators Letty and Pete Soto said they initially provided free food and drink to demonstrators, but when they stopped, the protesters became violent.

And according to one city councilman, bodily fluids were used in the attacks.

“Both carts have had items stolen, have had their covers vandalized with markings and graffiti, as well as one of the carts had urine and blood splattered on it,” said Councilman Carl DeMaio.

The damages will likely require at least a complete cleaning if not a replacement of the cart covers, DeMaio said.

In addition to the attacks, the vendors also said they recently received death threats.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will go directly to help the two business owners.

Now help from the city is arriving in various forms. But with the economy hurting a lot of businesses why should San Diego single out these two? Mayoral Spokeswoman Rachel Laing said, in the case of the coffee cart, it’s about upholding a contract.

“This woman was actually a tenant of the city in Civic Center Plaza,” she said. “And we have certain obligations that we have to meet, according to our lease contract with her.”

Laing said the city will waive the coffee cart’s rent for as long as it stays closed. She said, the city has been working hard to balance business interests, free speech and public safety in the plaza.

Councilman Carl DeMaio disagrees. DeMaio, who’s running for Mayor, is organizing a fundraiser for both business owners tonight. In a statement he said protestors have created an unsanitary and threatening environment at the Civic Center.

“I believe the City should have acted sooner to restore law and order at the Civic Center,” DeMaio said in the statement

So tell me something – how is it actually helpful to the coffee cart vendor to have their rent waived if they can’t open for business to begin with?? Like so many other mayors in other “occupied” cities where anarchy is taking root, “internal” crime is rising, and suffering small businesses are being threatened and harassed, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders is derelict in his duty to break up the occupy encampments to ensure public health/safety/resources are not further negatively impacted.

If you’d like to do what the City of San Diego WON’T and assist these vendors in getting back on their feet, here’s how you can help:

Please make checks payable to:
Centre City Coffee
Brooklyn Dogs

Send to:
The Office of Councilmember Carl DeMaio
The City of San Diego
202 C Street, 10th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101

Laing said the city will waive the coffee cart’s rent for as long as it stays closed.

Gee that is awfully big of you!! LOL You have to wonder just how many committee meetings were held hoping they could figure out a way to keep on charging this poor soul.

These occupiers are such pathetic children. They have no principles at all, and are just hoping to get some attention, just like an 8 year old who does bad things so Mommy and Daddy will notice them. – Lorica

She said, the city has been working hard to balance business interests, free speech and public safety in the plaza.

There’s no balance. They are sacrificing business interests and public safety, to allow a mob to break the laws intended to protect business interests and public safety. Free speech is no longer the issue, if it ever was.

I wish you had a “puke” smiley. That’s what I’d like to do all over these know-nothing punks. They need to come back when they’ve lived long enough to know what they are talking about. Some of the stuff I might agree with, but most of it is just an ignorant, self-serving, pile-o-crap. This generation has finally come to fruition, as we all knew would happen sooner or later. Too bad they turned out to be so ill advised, so irresponsible, & so disrespectful – just plain hateful. Why do they think they deserve anyone’s attention or rights, when they are so happy to stomp on those of other people. See what happens when you raise a child by giving them everything, tip toeing around so you don’t hurt their little feelings. Where’s the responsibility? Do these brainless wonders even know what that is? I have 2 grown children who aren’t perfect, but they well know what goes around, comes around. Karma is just around the corner. Why are the cities putting up with this? Is it because they are afraid of these people? Call out the National Guard to get rid of them, if the cities can’t. Free Speech is one thing, but out & out criminal behavior is another thing entirely. What kind of message does that send?

They interpret the first amendment of the US Constitution differently then the rest of us. It says ‘free’ speech, right? The misguided are quite creative in altering the meaning of free speech: free food, free coffee,free tents, free paint cans, etc. I also heard the OWS haters are charging rent to homeless folks living in these parks long before the Socialist elite took over. Could be a rumor…